Looking to rent your house or lease your property? Follow these steps to make sure your property is safe and the tenant follows the lease agreement.

Author: Sachin Gupta | Find me on Twitter Follow @sach_gupta

Leasing or renting out your property is a demanding job. Not only you need to maintain the property but at the same time you need to be careful in choosing the right tenant with good financials who can pay the monthly rent and other expenses on time.  There have been instances when tenant has refused to vacate the property even after the termination of rental agreement. Because of this, there is certain percentage of landlords who avoid renting out their property to prospective tenants. And it puts the pressure on housing market because on one hand there is demand for housing but rental market is not sufficiently catering to that demand. And therefore capital values of housing stock increases at a rapid rate. Had there been proper laws with respect to safeguarding the interest of landlords, the supply which would have then come into the market would have considerably eased the capital values.

The laws on landlord and tenants in India are outdated and needs complete reforms. However, the central government is encouraging local state governments to amend these laws to encourage investments in housing and construction sector. How fast will states in India will move to abolish its old system is still to be known.

In this environment, how can you as the landlord of residential property or commercial property such as office space, shops or warehouse lease/rent your property? We list down the steps which you should take before leasing or renting out your property:

• Background checks

First thing first! Since you are renting your property to a prospective tenant, make sure to check his/her background by asking tenant to provide a reference certificate from a colleague/friend or co-worker. At the same time, find out about tenant’s previous landlords and talk to at least one of them. Ask for tenant’s permanent address as well and permanent address can be known by asking tenant to show 2 photo ID cards such as a passport and driving license or a voter card. In most cases, these 2 photo ID cards will have the same permanent address.

• Police verification

As per the law, these days tenant verification at a local police station is required for landlords. Do not ignore this verification process before you rent out your property. This is a punishable offence under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

• Solid Lease agreement

Prepare a lease agreement which safeguards your interests and you should have the following in a typical lease agreement:

• Basic clauses

A typical lease agreement must list the parties to the agreement at a specified date, namely you and the tenant, along with the address of the property which is being leased out. In the basic clause, you should also state the lease term including the time length for which agreement is being made, renewal option, and rent appreciation method. The expenses such as electricity, gas, water bill, maintenance charges should also be mentioned clearly in the basic clause of a lease agreement.

• Security deposit clause

Your lease agreement should require the tenant to put up a security deposit equivalent to one month rent or more depending on the negotiation. The security deposits vary for commercial and residential properties. The security deposits also vary from state to state in India. For example, in Bangalore, for residential property, tenant pays 10 months’ rent as security deposit whereas in Delhi NCR the security deposit is about 2-3 months’ rent. For commercial property, the standard security deposit is around 6 months. Make sure that security deposits clause is clearly defined within the lease agreement.

• Maintenance of the property

The lease should tell the tenant that he is required to properly maintain the property. If you are renting out a furnished property, make a check list of the items which are being provided as part of the property such as furniture, appliances, etc.  Include this checklist in the lease agreement as an appendix. Whatever, you want from your tenant as part of his/her responsibilities, make sure it is part of lease and is not just conveyed orally. The maintenance clause should be included in the lease agreement because if a tenant leaves the property in bad shape then leasing the property again might become difficult or else you would have to spend considerable amount of money to make the property rent-able again. The idea is to make sure that tenant gives you the property back in same shape as you handed over to him/her.

• Concealed defects and responsibility for fixing it

If there is something that needs to be fixed in the property in coming 2-3 months, then clearly tell this to tenant. For example, if the roof of the property needs to be fixed in 6 months time, then it becomes your responsibility as an owner to include this fact in the agreement. A tenant will appreciate the fact that you have been forthcoming in your description of the property. If possible, try to fix all the things before letting it out.

• Sub-leasing clause

Sub leasing clause is extremely important and you as the owner of the property should pay attention to it. We have seen in past how a tenant has sub leased the property to another tenant or in some cases have shared the property space with his/her colleagues or friends. To avoid this situation, clearly mark out the condition that prior to sub-leasing the property space, the tenant will take permission from you. But with our experience, we encourage landlords to rather cancel the current lease agreement and make a new lease with the new tenant. In a nutshell, you should not allow your tenant to sublease the property. And get that condition in the agreement.

• Termination notice

The best practice is to know your jurisdiction’s rules on terminating a lease and include those details in your lease so your tenant will not be surprised. Clearly include the termination notice period as well in the lease agreement. For example, one month notice period is practiced in Delhi NCR for residential properties.

• Registering the lease agreement

Now that lease agreement has the above mentioned clauses, it’s time to register the lease agreement. If you are leasing or renting your property for a short time period in India, a lease agreement is not mandatory, but the agreement is required if the property is being rented out for over 11 months. The agreement is registered with the local registrar office.

So, as a landlord, did you follow the above process of renting your property??

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How is rent for residential property in India calculated? What are the basic components of Rent?

Author: Sachin Gupta | Find me on Twitter Follow @sach_gupta

Are you a tenant looking to occupy a residential property? Or are you a landlord looking to earn income from your residential property? For both the parties, rent is the primary area of discussion before they enter into a lease agreement. How much rent shall be paid for a given residential property? What are the main components of rent? How much is the security deposit? What are the other monthly charges? How is security refunded back when tenant vacates the property? These are some of the questions we will discuss below in this article:

How much rent shall be paid for a given property?

Rent is the monthly payment paid by the tenant to the property owner for the use of property. A residential property is used by tenant for living purposes or for the purposes defined in the lease agreement. Any deviation in the use of property by tenant can lead to eviction. And what is the agreeable rent that tenant and owner can arrive at? Principally there are 2 methods:

• Rent comparison method

It is the most common yardstick that is used by both tenant and owner for determining the rent of the residential property. This method is based on the ability of similar properties to generate monthly rent. For example, in a given locality, one needs to look at the rent that others are paying on a monthly basis. If properties in question are highly similar, then, one would expect the same rent for a specified property. However, if the properties are dissimilar, then monthly rent is adjusted. If the subject property is superior to other properties in the locality, then, chargeable monthly rent will be on higher side. And if the subject property is inferior to other properties in the locality, then, chargeable monthly rent will be on lower side.

• Cost method

This is a method based on the cost of the property. Cost of the property is the sum of current market value of land + cost of construction. In India, rental yields for residential properties are not very high. Typically, a property fetches anywhere between 2-3% of annual return on the cost of property. For example, if the cost of property is say Rupees 1 Crores, then, expected yearly rent could be in the range of Rupees 2-3 Lacs Or in other words, Rupees 16000-25000 per month. One must take note of the fact that, this 2-3% annual rent is calculated when the property in question is fully developed or its FSI (Floor Space Index) is fully utilized.

What are the main components of Rent?

Monthly Rent for the residential property comprises of following elements:

1. Base rent which is calculated by ‘rent comparison method’ or ‘cost method’.
2. Utility charges to be paid by tenant as per actual. Utility charges include electricity bill, water bill, Gas charges.
3. Maintenance charges. Maintenance charges are paid extra by the tenant.
4. Security deposit – it is the lump sum payment demanded by landlord at the beginning of the lease. It is an interest free payment and is refunded by the landlord to the tenant when the property is vacated. However, if the property has been damaged during the tenure of tenant, then, landlord may hold some part of security deposit to cover the expenses. This is clearly highlighted in the lease agreement as well. Security deposit differs from city to city. In Delhi, security deposit is about 2-3 months of rent. However, in Bangalore, the security deposit demanded by landlord is around 10 months of rent.

It is imperative for both tenant and landlord to discuss these things well in advance and all the charges shall be clearly mentioned in the lease agreement to avoid any difficulties during the course of stay.

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Detailed Guide: Finding and Moving to a New Home

Are you in your 20s or early 30s? And starting your master’s degree or settling in a new job or just got married, chances are, you have encountered this massive hunt. Yea hunt and we are talking about finding the right place to stay and live in a city of your choice. While real estate prices have boomed in major metros across India, and therefore, only option you are left with is to find a decent 1BHK or at most 2BHK apartment near your workplace or institute.

As easy as it may sound, the whole experience of settling in a new home is tedious to say the least. And when we talk about new home, what we mean is renting a home which is of right size, located close to your workplace and is in close proximity to commercial & institutional centers such as malls, hospitals, schools, etc.

So, what are the things one should pay attention to while looking to rent a home in a metro across India? How should I as a home seeker go about the whole experience? We list down the steps based on true experience.

• Finding the right place
• List down your ‘wants’ and ‘needs’
• Search on Internet
• Preparing to Move
• Sign the Lease Agreement only after consultation
• Hire a mover, it’s always worth it
• Identify your unloading zone in advance
• Packing Your Bags and Boxes
• Setting Up
• The Décor

Or

One can subscribe to the below Guide “The Most Jugaadu 1 BHK Ever” by Voucher Cloud that has tips and tricks for the young population in India which can help them select/buy/transform their 1 BHK into an awesome crib. Hope you will find this useful.

The two options for the soon-to-be landlord

Around the globe, there are just two options for everyone looking for the ideal tenant match for their house: One is easy but expensive and another is comparatively difficult but cost-effective and fully autonomous. The easy but expensive one is where you appoint a property management service to find and then manage the tenant and rent respectively in return of which they charge an amount. The second and only one left now is where you do all the hard work in finding a tenant and manage them in your space. While the level of guarantee as to the right tenant is less in either case but the moment you take things in your control, things become a hell lot easier both for your pocket and also provide peace of mind.

The takers for both these options are many but let us look at both the options for the first clueless timers’ sake.

For those comfortable with property management service

The choice to go for property management services is not bad, it not only saves time and effort in finding the ideal tenant but also do a clear background check to ensure that the tenants are genuine. If you are planning to opt for this model, there are just two things for you to consider: where to find the right service provider and being comfortable with the expenses that you will have to incur.

• Where to find the right property management service provider?

Depending on where your property is, you can either go for the traditional word of mouth medium or use reliable real estate portals available on the internet. The latter is much easier for all you have to do is put in your location and search, for example, if your property is in Bangalore, just put in ‘property dealers in Bangalore’ and you will get a number of results on time.

• Be comfortable with the expenses

In order to be comfortable with the expense, you will first need to get an idea of the exact amount. Confirm and research the going service rate in the market and also ask your provider if the cost of managing the property is recurring or one time. Doing this will prepare you for the coming expenses.

 

For the 'do it yourself' counterparts

Doing all the tasks on your own definitely makes you a Brave-heart. Although it may look impossible, it takes less time to get it

• Advertise your house

Begin online. For nominal fees and sometimes even free, you can now advertise your property on renowned websites. Like the last Bangalore example, what you can do is post a ‘Flat for rent in Bangalore’ ad that will eventually take the prospects to the hyperlinked image. For those who want a more advanced result for less money, they should try YouTube or Vine. Upload a simulated tour of the property, then share the links on different classified websites such as Craigslist, also add them in your various social media platforms. After listing your property, do not forget to put in the necessary "For Rent" signage in the front yard.

• Tidy it up

Strangely, some landlords do not even bother to tidy up their houses and apartments before putting it up for rent. Normally, the nicer and cleaner your house is at times when the prospect comes, the nicer it looks when they both stay and leave.

• Repair structural shortcomings

Replacing the busted appliances, chucking out left-behind scrap, pests and termites spray, getting rid of flies and mosquitoes by using the latest mosquito killer devices, and by simply adding new paint coat will take you far in attracting the ideal renter. Also the probability of getting a higher charge increases, big time.

• A ready rental policy

Have a document that clearly specifies the various lease’s TnCs, such as if pets are allowed, if you need a security deposit, and/or expect the tenants to bear their renters insurance. Make sure you have it ready even before you start shortlisting tenants.


We all know how difficult it can be to find the right tenant for your property. There is no right or wrong option here, everything depends on the efforts you can take and the money you have. Now that you know what it takes to go in either of them, make a sound decision.



This is a guest post by Tripti Rai. She writes about the real estate sector, she keeps her readers informed about the latest developments in real-time through her writing.

Mistakes to avoid when you rent out your apartment

A real estate report that was released recently highlighted the facts why Bangalore is considered as the most preferred city to stay in the country and also to invest in properties. While the real estate and property markets are down in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, the report suggested that Bangalore has now a high rate of residential properties and the rate of rented apartments is going up with every quarter. Bangalore has a typical mobile population wherein people, young adults to be precise, come to the city to study and work on a temporary basis. This has resulted in the increasing numbers of rental accommodations like houses, flats and paying guests in Bangalore.

There are certain dos and don’ts that tenants need to keep in mind while finding a rent house in Bangalore so that the deal is profitable and stay is comfortable. However, as an owner also, one must keep in mind certain factors to avoid making mistakes. Grabhouse.com, India’s first broker free housing portal lists down the common mistakes that one can avoid as an owner of rented properties.

The first basic mistake that a landlord might make is deciding on a proper rental amount to charge. Apart from the basic rental charge, there are many additional charges that as a landlord, one might need to pay. These may include maintenance bills, water bills, etc. If the tenant has to pay these separately, you may keep them out of the rental charges. Else, make a list of the utility items that you need to pay and make it part of the entire rental charges for the tenant.

Make sure to conduct a background check on your possible tenants before you allow them to stay in your house. It eliminates the possible chances of inviting uncalled troubles if the tenant turns out to be someone charged with legal cases or similar other situations. It also helps you stay clear of the legal issues as a landlord. You can call up their workplace or any reference number to get a background check about the person or the family and then decide accordingly. If required, do not hesitate to check on your tenant after renting out the house also. Regular screening of the property and the house and a proper credit check of the tenant is important.

One basic rule of being a landlord is to be familiarized with the various legalities involving the laws of real estate sector and what it means when renting a house. Get yourself familiarized with the various aspects of the laws regarding renting out apartments to the tenants. You can consult a legal adviser specialized in this sector. Be sure about the policies involving security deposits, maintenance costs, and payment of rent on a mutually agreed upon day, parking and other community charges if any.

While preparing the lease document, make sure to include all the clauses pertaining to maintenance of the house, items provided by the owner, payment of rent on a particular day of the month, extra payment for the utility items, etc. Get the lease documents verified by your legal adviser, read it carefully and share it with your tenant. If your tenant suggests changes, get it verified by the adviser, come to a mutual agreements and then sign the paper, after you have read it carefully (again!).

Before renting out the apartment, make sure to have discussion regarding the revision and raising of rent amount annually. Discuss the percentage of raise and other associated charges properly to avoid ambiguity at a later stage.

Lastly, maintain a cordial relationship with your tenant. It will help in having the same tenant year after year and will develop the trust. Ensure that you are there to help them if they need you and offer to fix any damage in the house immediately that has not been caused by them.

This is a guest post by Shanaya Mehta